Shedding mechanism for looms.



No. 734,767. Y PATENTED JULY 2g, 190s.

G. W. STAFFORD.

SHEDDING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

' APPLICATION FILED D30 4, 1902.

NO MODEL.

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4 UNITED STATES Patented July 28, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

SHEDDING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 734,767, dated July 28, 1903.

Application filed December 4, 1902. Serial No. 133,809- (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Looms, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the acj companying drawings.

The invention has relation to the shedding or harness-operating mechanism of looms,

and has been contrived with more especial reference to being utilized in connection with what are commonly known as dobbies, certain of the essential features of a well-known form of dobby with the invention embodied in connection therewith being illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The invention, however, is not necessarily restricted in all cases to use in this precise connection.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows in side elevation the main features of a well-known form of dobby. Figs. 2 and 3 are plan views of the dobby which is shown in Fig. 1, illustrating the invention. Fig. 4 is a view in section on line 4 4, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the frames of the dobbyin horizontal section of an embodiment of the invention in which a cast bar with inclined inner side is employed. Fig. 6 is aview in vertical section onthe dotted line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

- Havingreference to the drawings, the opposite side frames of a dobby are designated 1 1, the upper and lower slots in each of the said side frames, which constitute the guideways forthe lifters, being designated 2 2, respectively. The upper and lower lifters are designated 3 3, respectively. The opposite ends of the upper lifter are connected by rods 4 4 to the upwardly-projecting arms 41 41 of the rock-shaft 42, the opposite ends of the lower lifter 3 being connected by rods 43 4-3 to the downwardly-projecting arms 44 44 of the said rock-shaft 42; The said rock-shaft is provided at one side with a third arm 45, which is suitably connected-as, for example, by means of a rod 46-with actuating mechan The harness-levers are shown at v5 5, the pivotal support on which the said harn ess-levers are mounted side by side being shown at 6. Upon eachharness-lever 5 is pivotally mounted at 51 the usual connector 7 and to the upper and lower ends of the said connectors are pivoted the usual hooks or hooked jacks 8 8. bars against which the corresponding ends of the connectors 7 7 rest when said ends occupy their inward position are shown at 9 9.

With the object in View of causing all of the warp-threads pertaining to the bottom portion of each shed formation to lie in one uniform plane extending rearward from the fell or cloth-making point to the harness-frames I arrange the pivotal support of the harnesslevers, which is usually a rod 6, as in Figs. 1

to 4, in a horizontally-inclined. position, the rear end of the said support being farther removed from the loom side than the front end thereof. The stop-bars 9 9 occupy their usual position parallel with the loom side. This position of the stop-bars causes the connectorswhen their upper and lower arms are both resting against the said stop-bars to all stand in one and the same vertical plane, extending transversely of the dobby. The inclined position of the pivotal support for the harness-levers causes the harness-levers to occupy different positions with respect to the vertical, the front harness-lever, for example, standing in a vertical position, while those at the rear thereof are slightly inclined from the vertical inwardly toward the side of the i loom'to which the dobby is applied in practice, the inclination of the successive harness-levers increasing progressively from front to rear in the series of harness-levers.

The relative inclination of the harness-levers when occupying their most inward positions is indicated best in Fig. 2. The said inclination permits the warp-threads passing through the eyes of each harness-frame to be drawn down by such eyes (when the depressing springs connected with the harness-frame are permitted to act) slightly lower than the warp-threads passing through the eyes-of the harnessframe next in front thereof, and so on. The inclination of the pivotal support for the harness-levers is such that all the warpthreads belonging to the bottom portion of the The upper and lower stopshed occupy the same plane, extending rearwardly from the fell or cloth-making line to the harnesses, as stated above.

In order to insure that the warp-threadsof the upper portion of the shed shall occupy the same or substantially the same plane, extending rearwardly from the fell to the harnessframes, the operating means for the lifters is arranged to cause the rear end of each lifter to move slightly farther than the forward end thereof in such manner that as the lifters respectively are carried outward they are caused to assumeinclined positions, as in Fig. 3, thereby moving the rear harness-frames progressively greaterdistances than the front harness-frames are moved. This result is secured by connecting the rods 4 43, which are at the rear of the dobby, to the arms 41 44 at greater distances from the axis of the rock-shaft 42 than the points of connection between the rods 4 43 at the front of the dobby forming their usual movements.

and the arms 41 44 at the front end of the said rock-shaft.

The pattern devices proper and the instrumentalities intermediate the same and the hooks or jacks by which the engagement of the hooks or jacks with the lifters is controlled may be as preferred and do not require description herein.

i In Figs. 1 to 4 I have shown the usual form of pivotal support for the harness-leversnamely, a rod circular in cross-section extending in the manner of a tie-rod or girth from one side frame of the dobby to the other and tying the said side frames together. In pracnice it usually occurs that the movements of the harness-levers in turning upon the pivotal supporting-rod Wear the same, the said harness-levers being of cast metal and harder than the rod, into which latter they gradually out. My invention has for its aim in part to remedy this source of inconvenience and trouble; also, to facilitate the application of the portion of my invention which has already been described in the construction of dobbies, to enable the said portion of the invention to be applied and embodied in dobbies which have already been constructed or in use with a minimum of labor and expenditure of time and cost, and to facilitate the making of repairs in case of wear, breakage, or the like of the pivotal support for the harness-levers. In carrying this portion of the invention into effectI provide a cast bar, as 61, Figs. 5 and 6. The exterior of this bar is suitably shaped to fit within the slotted bearings of the harnesslevers, the said exterior being of a circular curvature in cross-section to enable the harness-levers to swing around the same in per- The said exterior also is inclined in a horizontal plane in the direction of its length, the inclination being the same as that which is required in the case of the rod 6 of Figs. lto 4. The opposite ends of the said bar are formed with lugs or ears 62 62 to rest against the inner surfaces of the side frames of the dobby, and the said ends have holes 63 63 therethrough for use in securing the bar in place upon the said side frames. Preferably thebody of the bar 61 is cast as a shell to fit over the exterior of a tie-rod 64, occupying the position in the dobby of the usual pivotal shaft for the harness-levers, it extending across the dobby at right angles to the side frames thereof. The said tie-rod passes through the said holes 63 63 in the ends of bar 61. In consequence of being cast the bar 61 has ahard surface which resists wear. It is capable of being quickly and conveniently applied in the construction of a dobby or in changing over a dobby already built or previously in use. Avariety of bars having different inclinations may be provided, and one thereof may be substituted for another quickly and conveniently whenever a change of this kind is for any reason deemed necessary.

I claim as my invention- 1. In harness-operating or shedding mechanism for looms, in combination, a series'of harness-levers, and an inclined pivotal support therefor, whereby a smooth shed-bottom is secured, all the warp-threads therein occu-.

pying the same plane, substantially as set forth.

2. In harness-operating or shedding mechanism for looms, in combination, harnesslevers, an inclined pivotal support for said harness-levers, hook or jack connections for said harness-levers, lifter devices engaging with said hook or jack connections, and stops whereby the inward movement of said hook or jackconnections is limited, substantially as described.

3. I11 harness-operating or shedding mechanism for looms, in combination, a series of harnessdevers, an inclined pivotal support for the said harness-levers, the connectors pivotally connected with the said harness-levers, the hooks or jacks connected with the said connectors, lifter devices for cooperation with the said hooks or jacks, and the stop-bars which arrest the inward movement of the connectors, substantially as described.

4. In harness-operating or shedding mechanism for looms, in combination, the harnesslevers, the inclined pivotal support for the said harness-levers, the connectors pivotally joined to the said harness-levers, the hooks or jacks applied to the said connectors,- the stop-bars to arrest the inward movement of the connectors, the lifters, and operating means for the said lifters whereby an increased range of movement is communicated to one end of each lifter and the lifters are caused to assume an inclined position in their outward movement, substantially as described.

5. In harness-operating or shedding mechanism for looms, in combination, the frame, the series of harness-levers, means for operating the said levers, the pivotal supportingbar having the horizontally-inclined face and the securing-lugs, and means engaging with within said shell and passing through holes :0

said lugs to secure said bar to the frame, subin said lugs, whereby the bar is secured to the stantially as described. frame, substantially as described.

6. In harness-operating or shedding mech- In testimony whereof I affix my signature 5 anism for looms, in combination, the frame, in presence of two Witnesses. the series of harness-levers, means for oper- GEORGE W. STAFFORD. ating the said levers, the pivotal supporting- Witnesses: bar having the shell-like body and the lugs CHAS. F. RANDALL,

at the ,ends thereof, and the tie-rod fitting WILLIAM A. COPELAND. 

